New Years Day
by soulsisterblondzilla
Summary: Short for New Years Day, just before Priority: Earth. Me3, Shenko. Mild swearing.


"Shepard?"

Something in Kaidan's voice made Shepard turn from the datapad in front of her. He was staring at his own pad, expression unreadable. She frowned.

"Yeah?"

His eyes slowly met hers. She stepped closer to him, muscles automatically tensing at whatever unknown thing was threatening him.

"Kaidan? What is it?"

"It's the first of January. One AM."

She paused, blinking. She would have laughed if he hadn't put her so on edge. "That's it? Hell Kaidan, I was expecting Harbinger to do a damned cartwheel into the room."

He didn't even crack a smile. Or apologise for that matter, she noticed with irritation. He just turned back to his datapad. She tried to do the same, flinging herself onto her bed with a huff. She stared in silence at the flickering orange screen for a commendable time - a few minutes at least - before she gave up on focusing and threw it aside.

"Come on, what's so special about New Years Day? Pissed we missed the countdown?"

Kaidan glanced across the room at her. "I don't know, Shepard, it's... no - look - it's nothing." He paused. "Really."

"Wow Alenko, I think Garrus might be better at flirting than you are at lying."

He smiled a little then. "Pretty offended by that, I have to say."

She smiled back. "Talk to me, Kaidan."

Their smiles drifted away simultaneously. Kaidan grumbled a sigh as he put his datapad down.

"It's just..." His eyebrows drew together into a tight frown. "Look, we both know that there's every chance we're not gonna make it this time around. Not just us, the whole crew - the whole _galaxy, _even. I mean, if we fail-"

He broke off, rubbing at his forehead. Shepard whistled. "Don't stop there Kaidan, I was just getting ready to fling myself out the airlock."

Kaidan shot her a flat glare and she turned her head away, pursing her lips. He was right, of course, but she didn't like hearing it. She knew the risks - they were thrown in her face every day. She heard him sigh before carrying on, pacing the floor in front of her bed.

"And with all this on our heads we forgot New Years Eve. And I... I can't help feeling that we've missed our last chance to celebrate something, you know? More than that, to celebrate something _new. _The _start_ of something instead of the end of damn-near everything. I just can't believe we missed that chance."

He sat next to Shepard. She'd rested her chin on her knees, thinking.

"We missed Thanksgiving." She added. "Christmas too."

Kaidan waved his arms helplessly. "You see? What else will we miss? Easter? Pancake Day? If we even make it that long."

"I love pancakes." Shepard mumbled mournfully.

"Exactly."

"We _are_ in the middle of super-galactic space war, Kaidan. You can't really blame us for forgetting a couple holidays."

He threw himself backwards so that he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "But we never get a break, Shepard! It's One am on New Years Day - we could have done... something. A few beers, some good food..."

Shepard settled down next to him. "Bit of old-earth Country Western on the comm."

Kaidan chuckled, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "Or maybe something that wouldn't make me want to gouge my ears out."

Shepard ignored him, her mind racing forwards. "I bet Tali could rustle together some party poppers... If we combine Chakwas' and Joker's drink stash with the bar in the Crew's Quarters-"

"Wait, Chakwas has a _stash?"_

"Not exactly beer but it's got a kick, whatever it is." Shepard winced a little at the memory then flipped off of the bed, striding to her wardrobe.

"EDI?" She spoke to the room as she threw her favourite suit at Kaidan. He caught it, bewildered.

_"Yes, Shepard?" _

"Wake everyone up, tell them it's an emergency."

"Shepard-"

Her quarters suddenly began flashing red and a sound like a screaming banshee howled through the ship. She rolled her eyes.

"Not that kind of emergency, EDI!"

The noise and light immediately stopped. There was a silent pause that sounded almost indignant.

_"...What, then, is the nature of the emergency, Shepard?"_

_"Shepard, what the hell was that?" _

"Rise and shine Garrus, tell everyone to put something expensive on and meet me in Port Observation."

She cut Garrus off before he could say anything else. She finally found that awful black dress everyone seemed to like so much, neatly crumpled in the bottom corner of the wardrobe. She began the process of rather aggressively shaking out the creases.

"We're having a party, EDI. A special one."

That pause was _definitely _a shocked one. She chuckled, kicking out the matching black shoes. EDI eventually buzzed back into life.

_"Shepard, I-" _

Joker's voice butted into the comm so hard Shepard winced. _"A party? You're shitting us, right Commander?" _

Shepard grinned. "We're gonna need that stash of yours, Joker."

_"Yes Ma'am!"_

Shepard flung her shirt to the side and started pulling her dress on, pulling faces at the uncomfortable fabric. It took her a while to notice Kaidan, still wide-eyed and clutching a bundle of suit.

"Well?" She hopped awkwardly, trying to get her toes in the tiny shoes. "Put it on."

He frowned. "Shepard, this is a pretty elaborate way to shut me up."

She gave up on the shoes and knelt in front of Kaidan, taking his face in her hands. "You were right, Kaidan. If this is gonna be the last 'new' thing we get to share, then I want it to be as beautiful and as memorable as it should be. I want to celebrate it. Us."

She planted a kiss on his lips, her hands dropping to his chest before pushing herself away. She moved barefoot to the elevator.

"Besides," She said over her shoulder, "I've learnt some new moves to show off on the dance floor." She gave an awkward little swagger that almost catapulted her into the door. Kaidan caught her hips before she made it, pulling her against his chest.

"What I said before, all that certain death stuff-"

"Oh Alenko, I'm swooning-"

"Seriously, Shepard. I just want you to know - that whatever the odds - I wouldn't be anywhere else. When we go, we go together. No leaving me behind. You got that?"

Shepard closed her eyes. She rested her forehead against Kaidan's chest. Eventually she was able to smile.

"No leaving you behind, Kaidan. You'll always have my back."

Kaidan grinned. "Always, Commander."

She turned to leave but he stopped her again. "So," he said coyly, "I'm a bad liar, sure, whatever." He waved his hand before settling whisky brown eyes on her, tilting her chin up to him gently. "But I've got to be better at flirting than _Garrus_, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Kaidan. A _hundred _times better."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead before letting her go. She turned to look at him just before the door to her quarters hissed shut. She grinned. It came out a little sadder than she intended.

"Lucky for you, Kaidan, I'm a much better liar."


End file.
